Bruno: Our Participation Wasn't Successful, This Generation Can Win the World Cup

Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United captain and Portugal international, admitted that his national team did not perform at their best during the match against Spain, which ended in a 1-0 defeat, eliminating Portugal from the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Fernandes stated after the match: "Of course, we feel a great sadness. We came to the World Cup with a clear goal, which was to win the title, but unfortunately, we were not at our best."

He added: "I think we were the better side in the first half, but after the break, we made the same mistake, retreating too much and allowing Spain to dominate possession. When you give a team of that level space and time, it’s natural for them to punish you in the end."

The Portuguese star praised Spain's performance, saying: "Spain has great players and high quality, and they deserve credit, but I believe that if we had maintained the performance we showed in the first half, we would have come away with a different result."

Regarding Portugal's World Cup campaign, he said: "It cannot be considered successful, as success for us meant reaching the final and winning the title. I know that Portugal has never won the World Cup, but I believe this generation had enough quality to achieve that feat."

He continued: "We should not lose confidence because of this defeat, as we exited the tournament against one of the top contenders for the title. We need to look ahead and express our identity more on the pitch, playing our style so that Portugal earns respect from all opponents."

In response to criticism aimed at the midfield, Fernandes confirmed: "We executed everything the coaching staff asked of us and did what was needed for the team to function correctly, but things did not go as we hoped. I am used to changing opinions about the midfield, but the truth is we faced a strong team, the match was balanced, and in the end, only one team advanced, and this time we could not outdo Spain."